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Posts Tagged ‘ Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel Band ’

A few weeks ago, the internet buzzed with discussion of “indie jam,” the term coined by Steven Hyden at Uproxx and referring, as many noted in response, to a constellation of bands advanced largely by Jeff Conklin on The Avant Ghetto. (We at NYCTaper are acknowledged by Hyden too, I’m obliged to mention.) In the article, musicians like Chris Forsyth (along with Garcia Peoples, Sunwatchers, Ryley Walker, William Tyler, and many others) are credited with “an inclination to meld all kinds of music — including indie, post-rock, folk, country, jazz fusion, and, yes, punk — and take it in adventurous and often improvised directions.”

“Indie jam”—or whatever you want to call it—surely wasn’t born in an out-of-the-way amphitheater in Raleigh, NC. But in September 2013, when we were first introduced to Forsyth’s far-out jams that were clearly referencing the Grateful Dead and Television, something was afoot. Is it time for us shrug off the legacy of Kurt Cobain’s distaste for the Dead and acknowledge the ongoing intersections of indie rock and jambands? Across the aisle, jamband fans are approaching the same questions, as the podcast Beyond the Pond seeks to introduce Phish fans to music outside the jamband ecosystem.

In the meantime, while the heads have been catching up to him, Chris Forsyth has released a series of increasingly great albums. The latest is All Time Present, in which Forsyth’s singular guitar playing weaves effortlessly between varied genres, from psych rock to, yes, even dance.

On Monday night we caught Forsyth’s Brooklyn record release show, appropriately opening for Träd, Gräs och Stenar. Joined by the latest edition of the Solar Motel Band, Peter Kerlin on bass and Ryan Jewell on drums, the trio play “Tomorrow Might as Well Be Today” and “Mystic Mountain” before being joined by Pat Gubler (P.G. Six/Wet Tuna) on keys for “Dream Song” and an absolutely epic performance of “Dreaming in the Non-Dream.” Returning the favor from last month’s Garcia Peoples record release show, the Solar Moteliers are joined by Tom Malach, Danny Arakaki, and Cesar Arakaki to complete the circle with “Techno Top.”

Chris Forsyth, Garcia Peoples, Dire Wolves, and Weak Signal play Market Hotel on July 27. You can find out what magic is in store from this insanely great lineup by grabbing a ticket.

After playing as a trio for the last couple-ish years, the Solar Motel Band is back to a quartet, having debuted their new dual-drummer lineup last month with shows at Monty Hall and Union Pool. Ryan Jewell (re-)joins the so-called “Sunwatchers Motel Band” lineup of Forsyth, Peter Kerlin, and Jason Robira. We caught the daytime set at Union Pool’s Summer Thunder outdoor stage, where the band played three new songs and more to a good-size crowd of folks willing to brave the heat. I’m never one to scoff at new Solar Motel tunes, but the real gem here is this ripping, sixteen-minute performance of “Dreaming in the Non-Dream.” Can’t wait to hear more from this lineup!

No matter how many times we see Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel Band, we always have something new to look forward to. This set celebrated the official release on No Quarter records of Dreaming In the Non-Dream, whose material we had heard live in various stages of completion over the past year. The outstanding final album versions are a can’t miss, so it was interesting for us to see how they’ve evolved live since the album’s release. This show at Union Pool covered three quarters of the album (meaning, three out of four songs) as well as two favorites from The Rarity of Experience, “High Castle Rock” and set-closer “The First Ten Minutes of Cocksucker Blues.” Forsyth broke this show into three parts, which he characterized as the “high-impact instrumental section, the singing section, and the long section.” As Forsyth regulars, we were jazzed to get a rare cover — Neil Young’s “Don’t Be Denied” as part of the vocal portion. But really, any appointment with Chris and his excellent band is one worth keeping. Catch them out on the road stateside for a few November shows, including November 18 at Brooklyn Steel with Luna.

I recorded this set with MBHO cardiod microphones, together with Doug’s house. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Tracks
01 History & Science Fiction
02 High Castle Rock
03 Have We Mistaken the Bottle for the Whiskey Inside
04 Don’t Be Denied [Neil Young]
05 Dreaming In the Non-Dream
06 The First Ten Minutes of Cocksucker Blues

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